Last night, State Rep. Aaron Schock became the only Illinoisan to grace the stage at the Republican National Convention. The 27 year-old, two-term state representative, who is running for Ray LaHood's open seat in the 18th Congressional District, is widely considered an up-and-comer in the party. In fact, he'd become Congress' youngest member if elected. But the topic of his two-minute speech -- that John McCain reaches out to Americans of all backgrounds, including inner-city residents -- seemed a bit surprising. Watch it:
I'd like to see some examples of how McCain is bringing inner-city Americans into the Republican fold. Back in June, the Center for New Urbanism noted that McCain's campaign website made no mention of urban policy. More recently, the Center for American Progress' Wonk Room pointed out that his site also lacks any plan to combat poverty. And in early August, during an appearance before the National Urban League, McCain advocated fighting inner-city crime in the same ways that the U.S. military has "clamped down" on neighborhoods and cities in Iraq. I'm sure that went over well ...
Meanwhile, Schock gleefully welcomed a recent fundraising visit from President Bush, who has not taken urban issues too seriously while in office.
Also, memo to the Daily Herald: Schock hasn't actually been elected to Congress, so you might want to change this headline:
